February 17, 2021 10:40 a.m. 

Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley – who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee – has announced that he will serve as Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China for the 117th Congress.

A release said Congress established the CECC in 2000 in order to monitor China’s compliance with international human rights standards, to encourage development of rule of law in China, and to establish and maintain a list of victims of human rights abuses in China.

Merkley said, “The U.S. relationship with China will define the world for years to come, and we must ensure that American advocacy for human rights and democracy is a centerpiece of that relationship”. Merkley said he is honored to lead the CECC’s continuing work “…standing against China’s assaults on fundamental human rights, bolstering international cooperation to hold China accountable, and ensuring that American policy promotes dignity, opportunity and freedom to all people”.

The release said every year the CECC, which is comprised of nine senators, and five senior Administration officials, submits a report to the President and to Congress to outline its findings.